Super Terrific Happy Blog

Tunes: Free MP3's!!

2005-03-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tone Crusher is live - my new project. Music written by our studio that you can download for your mobile device. Free ringtones and MP3's for iPod's and all mobile devices:

Tone Crusher

Eat: Recipe of the Week: Braciole

2005-01-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

There are a hundred Braciole recipes in the naked city. I do not have a favorite yet but I am now determined to try as many as I can to address that. The U?s served this version as part of our "traditional" Italian Christmas Eve dinner this year and it was a wild success. This recipe would probably be enough for 2 as a main course or 4 if served with pasta.

Oh, not sure which food group braciole comes from? (or how to pronounce it? I'm not going to try phonetically, but it rhymes with roll.) Braciole are rolled up slices of beef or veal stuffed with a variety of goodies and baked or slowly simmered in sauce. Who wouldn't love that!

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor
------------------------------------
Braciole di Manzo

1 pound boneless beef top round, cut into 4 thin slices each about 1/3 inch thick
4 slices prosciutto
1 thick slice provolone, about 2 oz, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 Tb pine nuts
2 Tb raisins
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or one large can whole italian tomatoes)
1 Tb chopped Italian parsley
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

One at a time, place each slice of beef between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound gently to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Spinkle with salt and pepper and place a slice of prosciutto and a piece of cheese on each one. Sprinkle evenly with pine nuts, raisins and garlic. Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends, then tie the rolls at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string.

In a large frying pan over medium heat warm the olive oil. Add the rolls and cook, turning as needed, until all sides are brown, about 15 min. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 min. Poor in the wine and let cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 2 min.

Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt an pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, turning the rolls occasionally, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 hours. Add water if sauce becomes too dry.

Uncover, add parsley and basil and cook for 2 min. Serve with sauce spooned over the rolls.

Eat: Recipe of the Week

2004-12-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

My New Year's resolution? Provide you with weekly inspiration for culinary delight. I know I love an occasional bird-dog on a good recipe and my goal is to hit you once a week with some of my favorites. Mrs. U? and the little U?s are my guinnea pigs and nothing gets posted without their approval.

My first post is an awesome Bourbon Marinade. Great on flank steak or pork tenderloin. Prepare ahead (always a plus) and even freeze (a double-plus!). Best when meat is cooked on the grill. I prefer to use Jack Daniels in this recipe, but pick your favorite.

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

---------------------------------
Bourbon Marinade
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
3 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 Tb worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and poor over meat in a zip-lock bag. Marinate for up to 24 hours. Can be frozen with meat. Good on pork tenderloins and flank steak.

The Innovative Japanese:

2004-12-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Japan's internet 'suicide clubs'

Powell For President!!

2004-11-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Discuss.

New Blog dedicated to the Tokyo Trip

2004-10-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Complete with updated pics and an Epilogue with some great Tokyo/Japan links:

Slurping the Soba

Kampei!

Travel Tips: Tahoe

2004-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Went to Tahoe last weekend for Labor Dayzz. Been busy, so I'm just getting around to posting. 15 of us rented two houses off Pioneer Street in South Shore (South Lake Tahoe). Hot tubs and home cooked meals after a hard day of playing outside sums up the experience:

Friday night:
Arrive in Reno and drive to Tahoe. Groceries, alchohol then off to the residence. Hot tub was turned on immediately. Drinking soon followed.

Saturday:
Hangovers all around. Aaron makes a killer breakfast consisting of bacon, eggs, warm tortillas and salsa. Off to hike Mt. Tallac (9,750 feet). Not for the faint of exercise, this hike proved to be quite challenging but everyone made it to the top and back down - this is a good link to check out the experience:

Mt. Tallac

More pics at my site:

Tahoe Pics

Later, completely exhausted, Rich and I get steaks from Albertson's and grill 'em up Florentine style. Yeah baby!!

Sunday:
Kayaking on Lake Tahoe. Evening was spent at Caesar's Resort and Casino eating at their suprisingly good Italian restaurant 'Primavera'. I had basil sea bass with red pepper mashed potatoes. AnalogJen and Rich were there as well. Later we played Pai Gow and single deck, $15 min. Blackjack.

Monday:
Checked out of the house at 11am. Went into town to the North Face store and had an awful lunch (mine as well as several others). The drive back to Reno via Route 28 was awesome!!! Same link has pics of the drive:

Tahoe Pics

Late flight back to Phx and everyone's exhausted. Can't wait for the next trip...

Eat: Grilled Leg-o-Lamb

2004-09-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Torn between entertaining out on the deck and linens and fine china in the dining room? I offer this tasty compromise. Grilled leg of lamb with fresh herbs and lemon. U? cooked this up on his birthday last month and served it with a nice '98 Barollo - a birthday gift from Mrs. U?. A killer combination. Would probably also pair up well with a Brunello (try any, please!) or a Petite Sirah (try Bogle, <$10).

The recipe I used is below - straight from www.foodtv.com. Consider finishing with a nice lemon-infused olive oil instead of just lemon. And for god's sake, don't overcook it - buy a meat thermometer!

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe? Senior Food and Wine Editor
------------------------------------
Grilled Leg of Lamb

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (7 to 8-pound) leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat, boned, and butterflied by butcher (4 to 4 3/4 pounds boneless)
1 lemon

In a small bowl stir together herb-rub ingredients. Secure loose flaps of meat, by runnning 2 long metal skewers lengthwise and 2 skewers crosswise through the lamb, bunching the meat together.
Put lamb in a large dish and with tip of a sharp small knife held at a 45-degree angle, cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb, rubbing herb mixture into slits and all over lamb. Marinate lamb at room temperature 1 hour.
Prepare grill.
Lightly pat lamb dry. On a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125 degrees F for medium-rare. (Alternatively, roast lamb in a roasting pan in middle of a 425 degrees F oven about 25 minutes.) Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Halve and seed lemon. Squeeze juice over lamb and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes.
Cut lamb into slices and serve with any juices that have accumulated on cutting board.

Life Sucks: Then You Live

2004-08-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ok. Some background on this rant - I'm getting a divorce ( for all our readers (2) who don't know (1) ).

My coworker, who was married when he was younger and is on his second, tells me I'm in for two years of alcoholism and 'debauchery' (cleaned up a bit for the kids...). Well, looks like the former has started. Can't wait for the latter. I averaged about 2 nights of drinking (2 or more) per month for the last 4 or 5 years up until about April. Now I think I'm at 2 a week if not more. My friend has a boat and we've been going out a lot this summer. It's like spring break every weekend which, I have to say, is pretty fun. More drinking. People from my old job have been doing happy hours every other week. Also lots of fun since we were a real close knit group. Drinking.

I think I'm too smart to become an alcoholic - also too into working out and outdoor activities to really let my health decay. But, you never know. Have to watch it.

On a lighter note - I'd like to give George and Shaling their own blog. I know the cat blog thing has been done but I want to spin it somehow (ha - blogger spell check flags the word 'blog').

Lady Shaling:

Sir George:

off to record some trackzz...

Travel Tips: San Francisco - the City that Keeps on Living

2004-08-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

marooned1984: QA re SF
afreshproduction: wha?
marooned1984: oh i was going to ask your advice on a hotel
marooned1984: but i already got one
afreshproduction: yes
afreshproduction: oh
afreshproduction: ok
afreshproduction: which one
marooned1984: called the mosser hotel
marooned1984: 54 fourth street
afreshproduction: whoa
afreshproduction: and?
afreshproduction: 54th and what
marooned1984: 54 fourth street
marooned1984: not 54th street
marooned1984: but now i'm wondering if we should have done a youth hostel
marooned1984: those are super cheap
afreshproduction: ok
afreshproduction: cuz 54th is like way the fuck out there
marooned1984: http://www.themosser.com/
afreshproduction: yeah - so you are right htere
afreshproduction: by Union SQuare
afreshproduction: cool
marooned1984: good
afreshproduction: u have been there before right
marooned1984: my first time to SF
afreshproduction: to SF
afreshproduction: oh really
afreshproduction: how about Fu?
marooned1984: yup
marooned1984: her's too i think
afreshproduction: oh shit
afreshproduction: i'll give you some tips
afreshproduction: you are right by Yerba Buena
afreshproduction: which is cool
afreshproduction: public park area surrounded by Moscone Center, MOMA
afreshproduction: which is cool
afreshproduction: and Market street
marooned1984: ok
afreshproduction: try to go to this Vietnamese restaurant
afreshproduction: 'Slanted Door'
afreshproduction: over on Embarcadero
marooned1984: otay
afreshproduction: you'll need reservations
afreshproduction: make them today
afreshproduction: excellent restaurant
marooned1984: alrite
afreshproduction: one of the best in SF
marooned1984: Slanted Door
afreshproduction: yes sir
marooned1984: i wanna go to chinatown
afreshproduction: http://www.slanteddoor.com/
afreshproduction: yeah chinatown is right by where you're staying
afreshproduction: it's all there
afreshproduction: perfect location
afreshproduction: if the weather's nice
afreshproduction: check out the Embarcadero and Marina
afreshproduction: during the day
afreshproduction: http://www.foodtourist.com/FTGuide/Content/I82.htm
afreshproduction: oh shit - and, a great pizza place
afreshproduction: 'Thomasso's'
marooned1984: hey
marooned1984: perfect
afreshproduction: i think
afreshproduction: near Little Italy
afreshproduction: which is an awesome nightlife spot
marooned1984: ok
afreshproduction: and...my favorite restaurant there
afreshproduction: Italian
afreshproduction: Sodini's
afreshproduction: corner of Grant/Green
afreshproduction: also North Beach area
afreshproduction: i.e. Little Italy
marooned1984: i'll tell 'em Tony sent me
afreshproduction: yeah
afreshproduction: so Tomassos, Sodini's and SLanted Door
afreshproduction: and the Asian food in SF is ridiculous
afreshproduction: best anywhere
afreshproduction: what is your itinerary
afreshproduction: arriving/leaving
marooned1984: saturday 9:30 am
marooned1984: out monday at 5
afreshproduction: arrive sat 9:30 at SFO?
marooned1984: yeah
afreshproduction: kewl
afreshproduction: if you meet a girl named Marcie White
afreshproduction: tell her i said hi
marooned1984: lost love?
afreshproduction: no - old girlfriend
afreshproduction: haven't seen her since K and I live in the Bay Area
afreshproduction: 2001
afreshproduction: you gonna bring your 'gat'
afreshproduction: your Glock and your 9
marooned1984: not me
marooned1984: we've got to let love rule
afreshproduction: yeah
End of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 13:13:25 2004

------------------------------------------------
Start of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 14:28:14 2004
afreshproduction: dude!
afreshproduction: what a coincidence
marooned1984: what
afreshproduction: i just got an email
marooned1984: from the pope?
afreshproduction: from my friend's in SF
marooned1984: oh yeah?
afreshproduction: they are performing this weekend
marooned1984: wow
afreshproduction: good funk band
marooned1984: maybe i should go see them
afreshproduction: shit - it's Friday night
marooned1984: oh - too bad
marooned1984: maybe they can give a private performance
marooned1984: in my hotel room
afreshproduction: yeah sure
marooned1984: that's too bad they are playing on friday
marooned1984: AF pick out a good music show for us to see
marooned1984: this is your mission
marooned1984: should u choose to accept it
afreshproduction: http://www.brunoslive.com/
marooned1984: for Saturday night
afreshproduction: http://www.brunoslive.com/music.htm
afreshproduction: calendar
afreshproduction: Afro Beat
afreshproduction: might be good
afreshproduction: i've seen these guys:
afreshproduction:
http://www.wireonfire.com/brounfellinis/brounfellinishome.html
afreshproduction: if they are playing it's worth checking out
afreshproduction: jaxx
afreshproduction: jazz
End of marooned1984 buffer: Wed May 19 14:28:14 2004

Rant: Home Improvement??!!?!

2004-08-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Consumers. I've had it up to here with Home 'Improvement'. Every freakin time I try to do a project it comes out half-assed or just downright wrong. Most recently, i.e. yesterday, I thought my brand new pool crawler, which I installed myself was defective. It was leeching to the floor, not moving half the time, and i found some plastic parts in my filter basket(s). So I take it to Leslie's to have it repaired under warranty. Turns out I f***'d up the install and forgot a plastic slip cover on the bottom which I thought was a protective covering for shipment (dumb ass). So, the money I saved by buying this thing on the inter-web where I had thought I'd found a great deal - gone. Time saved by buying on the inter-web-super-shopping-place - gone. My happiness - gone.

Am I not a man?? Do I not bleed from the repairs?? Here's a fairly thorough list of my most recent failings:

Condo, 2002
Added new faucet to tub. Failed to seal O ring properly. Flooded neighbor's ceiling. Tub faucet cost. $4.75. Repairs to neighbor's celing. $250. Nice.

Condo, 2003
After putting in a new concrete quick dry kitchen floor base, the Home Despot ass clown tells me the new tiles I bought don't need additional adhesive. Wrong!

House, 2004
Start to desire front yard curb appeal by upgrading my desert landscaping. I'll do it myself! A few days later - no, I'll hire someone. A few days later I'm looking at tools at Home Despot. The next week I decide to just hire someone. I get an estimate. I approve it and wait for them to come out and take a last look. They never show. They never call. Bastards.

House, 2004
Above pool cleaner fiasco.

Lessons learned, kids? Do you really save money? Do you in fact, save time? Or either? Would you be better off renting? The question is can you really do the DIY thing? My brother, YouTalkinToMe?, seems to have it down but then he has at least 8 years of home ownership on me. He also has a PHd. I only have an MA. I'm smart. He's smarter.

Ask yourself this - can you hack it or is it better to just pony up the cash?

UPDATE: I fixed my pool lamp! Yes!! I was tinkering around with the test button fuse thingy on my electrical section of the pool pump. I was trying to do it before and it wouldn't never stay in. Guess it just worked.

There's hope after all...

Funny: Funny

2004-08-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Spamusement

Drink: New Taste - Rosemount Cab

2004-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Rosemount Estates, Hill of Gold , Mudgee Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001
I think you should be able to get it for $13-14, not sure if the 2001 is still available. (Update 8/18: It is still available. I picked up a few bottles last night at my local "discount" wine merchant - $18. Apparently the word is out!)

Just a little something I pulled out of the cellar Saturday night - I think I picked it up last fall. It was awesome. Full bodied and fruity with just the right amount of tannin.

The label says "cassis and vanilla aromas dominate the nose, with intense red berry fruit and mint characters on the palate ... the classic firm tannin structure frames a deep complex finish." (Yeah - that's what I was thinking! I love it when they give you the tasting notes!).

Served with a grilled "tuscan" porterhouse, smashed potatoes and a fresh garden cucumber, tomato, and feta salad. Yummy!

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

Travel Tips: Maybe I'll do this in Tokyo next month...

2004-08-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Forget the bloggers, it's the vloggers showing the way on the internet

The Holy Trinity:

2004-08-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Radiohead - Amnesiac, tracks 4,5 and 6 in order:

You and Whose Army?
I MIght Be Wrong
Knives Out (one of the best songs ever...)

freakin awesome.

Update:

2004-08-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

More Travel posts coming soon - Prague, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and more!!

Travel Tips: Montalcino, Italy

2004-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Continuing the debriefing from our Italian honeymoon, we move on to Montalcino. In the heart of Tuscany, Montalcino is the home of the Brunello di Montalcino wine region, one of the holiest destinations in the wine world. We were there the year they released the 1997 Brunellos - the best vintage in a generation. We enjoyed some wonderful wine and managed to get a few bottles home for our cellar. Tuscany is also a fabulous food experience and these were our favorites.

Osteria di Porta al Cassero ... In Montalcino a block from the fort. We had two meals here it was so good. Real Tuscan food (as far as us tourists know).

Trattoria Sciame ... Down the street from di Porta al Cassero.

Il Giglio ... In a hotel a block "below" pza Garibaldi in Montalcino. A little more expensive than the above but we had fantastic Florentine steak and brunello risotto there.

Tip we wish we had gotten before the trip: Castello Banfi is a great winery tour, but we wouldn't know - you need to make reservations well in advance.

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

Googlezzz

2004-07-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

Google sets IPO at 24.6 million shares, $108-135 per share - Jul. 26, 2004

Reviews: Airline Quality

2004-07-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled on to this - seems up to date. I was looking for a review of Asiana Airlines, which I had never heard of. Thinking of going to Tokyo:

Passenger Opinions of Product and Service standards for over 350 airlines

Interesting: The Michael Moore School of Film Making

2004-07-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Fifty-nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 911, Dave Kopel, Independence Institute

Travel Tips - Rome, Italy Dining

2004-07-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

We honeymooned in Italy in October 2002 and good eating was the highlight. We headed over with empty stomachs, high hopes, a couple of recommendations and a little old-fashioned research. These are our favorite Roman eats.

Il Brillo Parlante ... Enoteca-ristorante-pizzeria near Piazza del Popolo - excellent recommendation from TonyThreeTimes! Rather casual, good food and wine by the glass. Dinner our first night there - shared an appetizer, pasta and pizza with a few glasses of vino.

Il Convivio ... fancy traditional italian cuisine. Definitely a high-end meal, but if you are going to pop for it - go here. Near Piazza Navona.

Ristorante al Piccolo Arancio ... Casual ristorante on a small street near Trevi Fountain. Good food and cozy, casual atmosphere. We ate a late lunch out front while enjoying the early afternoon street scene.

Checchino dal 1887 ... Classic Roman cuisine, in Testaccio quarter. Hands down our best meal in Rome! Moderate to to expensive, reservations required. (Just don't try to walk from the subway - not as close as it looks!)

Best spot for a picnic dinner. Bridge over the Tiber River that pza Navona "points" at. Watch the sun set over the Vatican.

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

Yay!

2004-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that we are so f*** in this country because of conflicts between constitutional rights and the need for Homeland Security. Essentially, Muslim men travelling on planes in groups are not being subject to search even after purchasing one way tickets!! Hello?

The FBI, LA Police and FAM interrogated suspects AFTER landing. After? What the f***! Aren't one way tickets flagged? Looks like 9/11 will happen again:

Terror in the Skies, Again?

Travel Tips: Phoenix - Best Restaurants

2004-07-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

It may be a bland existence here in the desert but we do actually have some good places to eat if you're visiting / moving / living here:

Sushi-Ko (Scottsdale) - best Sushi/Japanese in my opinion. not too expensive...

Pita Jungle (Tempe/Chandler) - awesome healthy food like Chicken Shwarma, Greek Salads, Tibuli, Hummus, good pizzas

Cheesecake Factory (Everywhere) - I know that most people think it's cheesy, but they actually do have some good food and very healthy portions.

Malee's (Old Town Scottsdale) - one of the best rated Thai places in Phoenix. For me it's hit or miss but usually pretty good and worth the visit.

Bandera (Old Town Scottsdale) - good for grilled meats and cozy, dark atmosphere.

RA - decent sushi, decent happy hour specials and cheap (happy hour)

Grimaldi's (Old Town Scottsdale) - awesome pizza, New York style!! not much better in phoenix than this.

Kyoto (Old Town Scottsdale) - good Sushi/Japanese in my opinion. cheap!

Frasier's (Scottsdale) - awesome Burger and Beef Tip sandwich. owners are from St. Louis. across from Babe's strip club (hehe).

Indian (next to Scottsdale cultural center) - forgot the name but the food is good.

Bucca di Beppo (Old Town Scottsdale) - great Southern Italian, family style place. Huge portions. Italians (such as myself) either love it or hate it.

Veneto Trattoria (Scottsdale) - great Northern Italian restaurant. a little pricey but they have a great wine list with some relly good premium selections (Barolo's, Brunello's) if you want to splurge.

Pei Wei (Everywhere) - PF Chang's 'to go' restaurant makes somewhat healthy asian dishes with a brown rice 'option'. i like the 'Blazing Noodle' w/ Tofu. usually pretty good. fast service.

The Good Egg (Everywhere) - Best brunch place in my opinion, at least in terms of chains. good food and good service.

Enjoy!

Travel Tips: The Venetian, Las Vegas

2004-07-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow consumers:

Just got back from 4th of July in Vegas. My advice to you - never, ever go to Vegas on the 4th of July unless you are a masochist and enjoy standing in line, fighting crowds and poor service from the 'drink person'. However, we got a great rate at the Venetian and got upgraded to a suite. Woo-hoo! The room was grand, palatial, exquisite and down right roomy. The bathroom had a phone AND a fax...unheard of.

The North (read 'new') Tower of the Venetian is all suites and features a private concierge, private check in and a 'private' pool only for North Tower guests. Needless to say I left behind my birthday suit and opted for au-natural, after all, it's my private pool dammit! The guests were less than amused and I received a 'private' escort back to my room.

Pai Gow!! Pai Gow is the game my friends. A mix of blackjack and poker, you make your best two card and five card hand out of seven cards and hope that the dealer busts. If only one of your hands beat the dealer you push. Lots of pushing in this game which means you play longer (i.e. more free drinks and less losses). I ended up up $175 dollars which meant I ate for free at Delmonico with some left over for more Pai Gow. Next time your in town give it a whirl...

Best Filet Ever: Delmonico in the Venetian. Emeril Lagasse's triumphant steakhouse. Not for the faint of wallet, the Filet was damn near perfect and featured a dry rub that was the tastiest thing ever ($38). I like mine medium and the color was a wild shade of pink, so perfect and tender that I cried after the first slice. mmmm...red meat.

The Hard Rock Rehab party on Sunday was packed. My second time attending. The DJ was good and the crowd was generally wild and out of control. Good times.

Happy 4th!

Tech Update: IM This!

2004-07-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yahoo messenger rocks - especially the 'audibles':

Yahoo! Messenger

Eat: Just Grill It!

2004-07-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

The first in a sporadic series on the virtues of the open flame.

OK, I know there are some pretty fancy gas grills and backyard cooking “systems” out there, and that’s great if you are looking for “pretty” and “fancy.” But I would like you, for just a minute, to (re)consider the basic charcoal grill - because you just can’t beat a brontosaurus burger cooked to perfection over a charcoal flame (more on that later).

I know all of your excuses: too much work to start, don’t want to lug around that bag of charcoal and I hate cleaning that *#%@% thing out! Well, I have the answer to these concerns: the Weber Performer. It is a traditional Weber kettle grill on steroids: gas-starting system with push-button ignition, convenient charcoal storage bin under the stainless steel work surface and easy ash removal. (Not to mention robot welding! Check the link! And no, I do not work for Weber, but it is my dream job.)

So if the Super Bowl weekend can make you replace that 27-inch tube with a 60-inch HD plasma screen, why can’t the Fourth of July weekend motivate you to roll that rusty old propane burner out to the curb and get a nice new charcoal grill. Do it for your country (propane comes from the Middle East, doesn’t it?). You’ll enjoy it for years to come – just keep the grate clean.

Salute.

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

Drink: Malbec - "no respect" in spanish?

2004-06-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Looking for something interesting to go with that grilled ribeye this weekend? Take a cue from the largest consumers of beef (per capita) in the world. In Argentina, Malbec is practically synonymous with red wine. Malbecs are rich, full-bodied and fruity wines with light tannins and hints of game or spice. They should go well with most red meats and your guests will be very impressed with your international “vita-culture!” A couple of excellent and inexpensive options are Bodega Norton and Bodega Terrazas de los Andes.

The Malbec grape is originally from Europe and is otherwise most common in the Bordeaux and Cahors regions of France. Imported into Argentina in the mid-1800s, it sat rather unnoticed until 20-30 years ago when some vintners found the grape was excelling in the high altitudes of the Mendoza region in Argentina. At that point, Malbec grapes emerged from just a common element in cheap domestic blends to starring in its own right. For years now Malbec wines have been widely consumed in Argentina but only in the past few years have some high-quality bottlings been accessible to common American consumer like you and me (that means at the grocery store!).

So try one and thank me later. Salute!

- UTalkinToMe?, Senior Food and Wine Editor

Seattle Public Library

2004-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is cool:
Books

Funny!

2004-06-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday fellow consumers. I know funny and this is funny:

Bush/Zombie Reagan 2004

Your tax dollars at work

2004-06-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting spin on a World Encyclopedia: CIA

Travel Tips: Azerbaijan

2004-06-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

zdarma: holmes
dragonkick: sup
dragonkick: G
zdarma: hanging. bak from baku
dragonkick: really?
dragonkick: where's that
dragonkick: i think i've heard of it
zdarma: azerbaijan
dragonkick: oh - vacation
dragonkick: or war coverage?
zdarma: vacation
dragonkick: on the sea
dragonkick: nice
dragonkick: how was it
dragonkick: what's the vibe there?
zdarma: beautiful - was in baku, seki, and quba
dragonkick: they speak some Slovak language
dragonkick: or modified Russian
dragonkick: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/aj.html
dragonkick: the CIA is fully aware of Azerbaijan
dragonkick: it seems
zdarma: azeri and russian
zdarma: oh yeah, kgb also
dragonkick: sweet
dragonkick: so did you speak English?
zdarma: it has that kind of feel a bit
dragonkick: point to stuff?
zdarma: i have a friend there
zdarma: he did most of teh talking [russian] or his friend did [azeri]
dragonkick: ahh
dragonkick: that CIA website looks a little slick for the CIA
dragonkick: all metal'd out and stuff
dragonkick: how was the food?
zdarma: it has that 'lots of corruptions and backroom deals' feel
zdarma: lots of lamb
dragonkick: ok - was the sea nice
dragonkick: clean beaches etc.
zdarma: i probably ate a whole lamb while i was there every day
dragonkick: or no beaches
dragonkick: hehe
zdarma: no beaches

Aspartame kills??

2004-05-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

afreshproduction: i think i'll have a 'regular' Coke
afreshproduction: today
afreshproduction: it's Friday, y not
marooned1984: instead of vanilla?
afreshproduction: instead of Diet
marooned1984: ah
marooned1984: you drink diet?
marooned1984: that's cancer juice
afreshproduction: y?
afreshproduction: aspartame?
marooned1984: yeah
afreshproduction: hmm - is it really?
marooned1984: i dunno
marooned1984: isn't it?
afreshproduction: i don't know

Conclusion, fellow consumers?? Drink as much Diet
Coke as you want. Drink it all day every day. Load
up on aspartame. Drin Diet Coke until your local
grocer runs out and has to order more. And send those
good folks at Coke a nice email congratulating them on
a truly satisfying product.

For those of who who don't know...

2004-05-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most read blog's out there. Usually has good links to start trailing off into interesting threads.

instapundit

My Recent iTunes additions?

2004-05-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

This will become a permanent addition on the right
side nav of the blog soon - but here's some new stuff
I've been listening to in the last six months:

Aesop Rock - Bazooka Tooth (Hip Hop)
Four Tet - Rounds (Electronic)
Amon Tobin - Supermodified (Electronic)
Missy Elliott - Under Construction (Hop Hop)
50 Cent - Get Rich... (Hip Hop)
Mogwai - Young Team (Post-Rock)
Denali - The Instinct (Post-Rock)
Cardigans - Gran Turismo (Rock)
RadioActive Man vs. Transparent Sound - Beatz Clash...
(Electronic)
Deftones
Chevelle

I'll also be adding various top 10 MP3 lists. Stay
tuned - UTalkinToMe? is going to post the first
Epicurean tale for all of our faithful readers. He is
our Senior Food and Wine Critic and will be regaling
all of us with the charismatic tale of the Malbec.

Peace!

Don't buy bulk in the morning

2004-05-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Warning: It’s bad form to buy your bulk coffee at Starbucks in the morning. Especially when the style you ordered is out of stock and one of the only two people working has to go and try and find more while the whole line is waiting just to get a simple Grande Drip w/ Cold Soy.

Remedy: Please buy Bulk after 5pm M-F or after 12pm on the weekends. Thank you.

First!

2004-05-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow consumers. I live an exciting, devil may care, outlandishly provocative yet provincial life and wanted to share my experiences with the world at large. My motto - "Always have coffee after you shower..." has served me well and really pulled me through the rough times. More about *ME* to follow.

First, let's disuss how I named my blog. My original thought, which I soon discovered was anything but original, was to name the blog after one of my top six Radiohead songs (if you don't know who Radiohead is please hit the 'Back' button on your browser). I would listen to my top six and then pick the one I felt most strongly about at that particular time. Well, viewers, my plan was thwarted(sp?). yeah, ok, Karma Police (taken), Fake Plastic Trees (taken), Exit Music (taken), Knives Out (gone). Anywho, my next idea was to call it 'Internal Exception' cuz I programz Java for a living. Naw. Then, I thought of '100 Percent Kona' because I really enjoy the full bodied, smoky yet nutty aroma of the Hawaii coffee bean. And, as you'll soon discover, this is going to be one damned flavorful Blog. But that seemed to esoteric and I want to be inclusive, dammitt! So I named it after one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes - The Super Terrific Happy Hour!

/* End First! */